Eurozone

Prosecutors blame captain for fatal migrant shipwreck

Italian authorities are holding two men on suspicion of smuggling migrants to their deaths in the weekend shipwreck that has shocked Europe. Nathan Frandino reports.

TRANSCRIPT +

This is the man Italian prosecutors say is responsible for what could be the worst ever migrant disaster on the Mediterranean.
He is Captain Mohammed Ali Malek.
Prosecutors say he steered his severely overloaded boat into a collision with a merchant ship that was coming to its rescue.
The boat then capsized.
The United Nations believes more than 800 migrants died.
Prosecutor Rocco Liguiri says Malek and a crew member, Mahmud Bikhit now face multiple charges.
(SOUNDBITE) (Italian) CATANIA PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, ROCCO LIGUORI, SAYING:
"The crimes the captain is accused of include facilitating clandestine immigration, causing a shipwreck and multiple homicide, while the crew member is accused of facilitating clandestine immigration."
Of the hundreds on board, only 28 survivors have been brought to Italy... so few, because prosecutors say most of the migrants were locked in the hold and lower decks of the fishing boat.
The disaster has sparked outrage across Europe and prompted new pressure for action on European leaders to prevent similar incidents in the future.

SPONSOREDSTORIES

Reuters is the news and media division of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms.

*All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays.